[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 43 (Tuesday, April 19, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    CRIME CONTROL IN PUBLIC HOUSING

  (Mr. OWENS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, crime in public housing developments 
certainly deserves special attention. A tiny percentage of criminal 
predators prey upon the overwhelming majority of hard-working families 
in public housing. Periodic police sweeps of public areas and vacant 
areas is very much in order, but knocking down the doors of occupied 
apartments is never in order.
  Mr. Speaker, crime control for public housing requires a 
comprehensive approach. One of the newest proposed components of such a 
comprehensive approach is the establishment of tenant-owned and tenant-
operated security firms. Tenant-operated security firms must be a key 
part of the permanent control of crime in public housing; that well-
trained tenants with the best state-of-the-art communications equipment 
working in concert with the police do part of the crime eradication job 
in public housing. Tenants can do this job well and tenants can 
probably do this job at much lower expense than any others.

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